The present invention relates to food products comprising a thixotropic composition containing an unsaturated oil in high proportion and to the process of preparing a food product comprising a thixotropic unsaturated oil composition or having such a thixotropic composition applied thereto to produce a coated food product. More particularly the present invention relates to the use of a thixotropic composition in a process for the use of fat as a food additive or coating, wherein the fat is composed of an unusually high proportion of unsaturated oils. The process is suitable for optionally applying adjunctive ingredients such as flavoring, vitamins, and therapeutic substances to food.
An even application of an oily substance is important in order to protect food from moisture as e.g. in the case of pastry and meat, or to protect it from loosing moisture as e.g. in the case of popcorn kernels. Moreover, such oils can serve as a delivery system for flavoring and therapeutic additives onto the food.
Oil must be in a solid phase in order to stick to the food. It must also be solid in order to facilitate even delivery and distribution of flavoring and therapeutic additives. For that purpose, oils are generally being hydrogenated, to obtain solid consistency, however, this process involved chemical change in the oil, namely complete or partial saturation of the double bonds in the fatty acids. Thus, the beneficial properties of the unsaturated oil are substituted by the highly undesirable adverse properties of the saturated fats.
It would be desirable to provide a composition for applying flavoring to a food, which is easy to prepare, has an even-flavor distribution, but does not contain saturated fats.
It would be further desirable to provide a method for making flavored food, which is easy to prepare, has an even-flavor distribution, but does not contain saturated fats.
It would be further desirable if this method for applying flavoring were applicable to foods, such as popcorn, pastry, vegetables, potatoes, pasta, rice, fish or meats.
Especially desirable is a composition and method for applying oil and optionally flavoring components to popcorn for mass production and microwave popping systems. Popcorn is a food product which requires very careful handling in order to ensure large tender kernels when popped. It is a well-known fact that unless precautions are taken to preserve the moisture in the raw corn, it soon dries out, after which no popping method produces a satisfactory product. Oil coating is known to preserve moisture, and obviously, an even distribution of the oil is essential to protect the whole mass of the corn. It is also accepted that the proportion between oil and corn affects the results obtained. Too little oil results in small kernels, whereas too much oil results in soggy corn with inferior smell and taste.
The most common sources of oil for popping popcorn are coconut oil or liquid vegetable oils, which contain a high degree of un-saturation, e.g., corn oil, soybean oil, and certain partially hydrogenated edible oils like cottonseed.
Trends in the state of the art in the popping of corn have been to make the total operation simpler. This has involved attempts to put together in a single package more than one of the ingredients. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 2,604,407 teaches that it is possible to preserve moisture in popcorn kernels by coating the kernels with the correct amount of liquid fat (vegetable oil) in such manner that homogeneous parcels with the correct amounts of corn and oil may be obtained for individual use, however, this method cannot ensure avoidance of oil spillage. U.S. Pat. No. 2,518,247 teaches the use of a total combined package of popcorn, oil (used as binder), salt, color, and flavoring.
There have been many attempts to improve the even distribution of oil-flavor systems on corn, by using partially or fully hydrogenated oils, which, due to the hydrogenation process, become semi-solids (examples are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,163,066 and 4,888,186). Yet, because of this chemical transformation, the oils become saturated and lose their healthy properties.
The Food and Drug Administration has recently stated that consumption of such saturated oils, which contain xe2x80x9ctransxe2x80x9d-fatty acids contributes to increased blood LDL-cholesterol (xe2x80x9cbadxe2x80x9d cholesterol) levels, which increase the risk of coronary heart disease (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Press Release, Nov. 12, 3699). Blends of fats from animal and vegetable sources have also been used for this purpose (U.S. Pat. No. 5,514,407).
The present invention provides food products and methods for producing such food products. This invention provides: (1) a vehicle for combining the ingredients required to produce acceptable food in which a homogeneous distribution of the ingredients will allow a simplification of commercial operations; (2) a food product that is easy to use and to eliminate the possibility of oil spills in comparison with liquids oils currently in use for food production; (3) acceptable food products prepared from a process which enables the use of thixotropic compositions comprising intact unsaturated oils, which carry the healthy properties of such oils; (4) an oil-flavor system for food production, wherein salt and other flavoring particles are substantially distributed throughout a thixotropic composition, which is amenable to facile application to food materials or products; (5) a process for producing a food product comprising an oil coating, wherein such a good product can benefit from being coated by an oil which enhances food preservation or protection and which comprises the health benefits of unsaturated oils.
According to the present invention, there are herein provided food products containing unsaturated oils prepared from the incorporation of a thixotropic composition with a food material, said composition comprising an edible unsaturated oil in combination with an edible solidifying agent. In one embodiment said agent converting said oil into a thixotropic composition exhibiting both an at least semi-solid state upon standing and a liquid state upon being mechanically disturbed.
In one embodiment, said edible solidifying agent comprises a compound having a molecular weight of at least 200, having at least 1 hydroxyl group and converting said oil into a thixotropic composition exhibiting both an at least semi-solid state upon standing and a liquid state upon being mechanically disturbed.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention, said edible solidifying agent comprises at least one fatty alcohol derivative, having at least 15 carbon atoms in its carbon chain.
In preferred embodiments, the food product further comprises a raw food material or food product. The food material or food product may be selected from the group consisting of fresh, processed, or pre-cooked starch, carbohydrate, protein, fats, potatoes, wheat, corn, barley, oats, rye, millet, vegetables, fruit, tubers, nuts, legumes, seeds, rice, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, meats, poultry, and mixtures thereof. Thus the invention provides for a food product wherein a raw or unprocessed food material selected from one of the food groups is mixed, coated, layered, or otherwise supplemented with said thixotropic composition comprising an edible unsaturated oil in combination with an edible solidifying agent. Likewise, the invention provides for a food product wherein a cooked, fried, baked, steamed, boiled, or otherwise cooked or processed food material or food product is mixed, coated, layered, or otherwise supplemented with said thixotropic composition comprising an edible unsaturated oil in combination with an edible solidifying agent.
In especially preferred embodiments of the present invention, said composition further comprises an edible flavoring, colorant, or nutrient component.
In accordance with the present invention there is also provided a process of producing a food product, wherein a thixotropic composition in liquid state is applied to a food material or product to produce a food product comprising said thixotropic composition, wherein said composition is prepared by blending an edible unsaturated oil in combination with an edible solidifying agent, at a temperature above the melting point of said solidifying agent, to produce said thixotropic composition exhibiting both a liquid state upon being mechanically disturbed and an at lest semi-solid state upon standing. Thus provided is a method of preparing food containing a variable proportion of unsaturated oil including the steps of preparing and using a thixotropic composition comprising said oil.